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Anti-extortion cell arrests man for ordering illegal weapons; swords & kukris worth ₹57,000 seized
According to police officials, the anti-extortion cell team was patrolling within the jurisdiction of the Sant Tukaram Nagar police station when they received specific intelligence about illegal arms being procured online
The anti-extortion cell of the Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Monday arrested a man for allegedly ordering illegal weapons through Facebook and courier services; and seized a cache of swords and kukris worth ₹57,000. The action was carried out as part of a special drive against illegal arms, initiated under the directives of police commissioner Vinay Kumar Choubey.
According to police officials, the anti-extortion cell team was patrolling within the jurisdiction of the Sant Tukaram Nagar police station when they received specific intelligence about illegal arms being procured online.
Acting on the tipoff, the police intercepted a consignment at a warehouse of a private courier company near Mohan Nagar in Pimpri and recovered five steel swords and five steel kukris.
During technical analysis, the police identified multiple accused involved in ordering the weapons. One of the accused, Mahadev Ganpat Shewale, 38, a resident of Rahatani in Pimpri-Chinchwad, was apprehended from Wakad and handed over to the Sant Tukaram Nagar police station for further investigation. Efforts are on to arrest the remaining accused.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the weapons were sourced from suppliers in Punjab and Rajasthan. The consignment was intended for distribution not only in Pimpri-Chinchwad but also in districts such as Dhule and Aurangabad, among others.
Rajendra Patil, senior police inspector, anti-extortion cell, said, “The arrested accused (Shewale) is involved in the transportation business. Through social media, he chanced upon an advertisement through which he ordered some deadly weapons.” The search is on for the other accused.
Patil said that the weapons are being supplied from Punjab and Rajasthan to Pimpri-Chinchwad, Dhule, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. On Tuesday, the accused was produced in a local court and granted police custody for three days.
A case has been registered at the Sant Tukaram Nagar police station under sections 4(25) of the Arms Act; 37(1), (3) of the Maharashtra Police Adhiniyam; and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The police said that further investigation is underway to trace the larger network behind the illegal procurement and distribution of weapons.
